


As It Was

by goodnightlove



Series: As It Was [1]
Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games), Red Dead Redemption 2
Genre: Bisexual John Marston, Bisexul Arthur Morgan, Established Relationship, M/M, TB who's that?, They all lived happily ever after and no one else died
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:48:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24321553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodnightlove/pseuds/goodnightlove
Summary: Arthur has a fitful night of sleep, and dreams about the long passed Hosea. John is there to comfort him.
Relationships: Abigail Roberts Marston/John Marston/Arthur Morgan, John Marston/Arthur Morgan
Series: As It Was [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1963534
Comments: 8
Kudos: 38





	As It Was

**Author's Note:**

> I was sad, so I wrote sad cowboys. Sometimes the only thing to do is cry.
> 
> Title e is inspired by the Hozier song of the same title. It's wonderful, I would recommend a listen. ♥

_"_ There is a roadway, muddy and foxgloved  
Whenever I'd have life enough, my heart is screamin' out  
And in a few days I would be there, love  
Whatever here that's left of me is yours just as it was"

Towards the end, when things were at their worst, Arthur found it difficult to take care of himself. He was dying, so didn’t see much point in trying. Besides folks at camp needed the food, and any chance they could get at surviving what was to come. If he was honest he didn’t feel hungry half the time, just a bone deep tiredness that never left him. He never had much time to sleep and what little chance he got, his slumber was filled with visions of a golden buck.

It had been many years since he dreamed of anyone long gone. Been even longer it seems since last he saw Hosea’s face. The dream was nothing special at first, just the two of them sitting on the porch of Shady Belle, watching a storm roll in. It was one of them dreams that seemed real enough Arthur thought all that bad had not happened yet.  
The two of them talked about getting Jack back, about the approaching storm, and about how Hosea wanted John and Arthur out of the life.  
Arthur quickly found himself overwhelmed with dread. If the bank robbery hasn’t happened yet, then there was still time to stop it, to save Hosea, to save all of them.

But no matter how hard he tried, Arthur couldn’t get the words to form. His body kept talking for him, answering Hosea’s questions and cordially talking back to him. It was terrifying, like he was a passenger in his own body, a prisoner of his own mind. The dread turned to panic when Hosea bid him goodnight and told him to get some rest. The bank job was tomorrow and they needed him well rested. Arthur felt like screaming as he watched Hosea disappear through the doors of Shady Belle. He tried to scream with all his might, felt his chest tightening and nausea twisting his guts, but not words would leave his mouth.

Hosea was going to die, everything, the gang, Dutch, it was all going to fall apart. Arthur could have stopped it, but his mouth won’t work, his legs unwilling to move. His body frozen to the spot.

Lightning flashes and the sky turns white above him and for a moment it’s as bright as daylight, and Arthur finds himself lying in bed. It’s disorientating at first, Shady Belle is gone and the bedroom is dark. Arthur lets out a gasp and takes a deep breath, shuddering as blessed air fills his lung. His vision clears and John’s face comes into focus. His black hair is disheveled from sleep, and sticking up at odd angles. His brows are furrowed and there is worry visible in his dark eyes.

Arthur blinks up at him, reality slowing coming back to him. They’re safe beneath the quilts, and Arthur is tucked up against the former outlaw, held close. Tears well up and trail down Arthur’s cheeks before he can stop them, he hesitates a moment before burying his face against John. He closes his eyes and once again sees Hosea’s face and his chest feels like it’s caving in.

John quietly holds him close, brushing his fingers through his blonde hair and rubbing his back, soothing the outlaw while allowing him to let go. Arthur untangles his arms and wraps them around his lover, holding onto the younger for dear life. His body trembles from the sheer force of his sobs, and in that moment he is thankful and heartbroken to still be here. It’s a terrible thing to outlive your loved ones, to remain. But as his sobs turn to soft gasps he knows he is not alone in this. That the man holding him knows well the type of sorrow he feels, a wound that never quite heals.

"I got you, it's okay." John says quietly, voice steady and calm.

Arthur can feel himself calming down and turns his head to the side and the sound of John’s steady heartbeat comes into focus. He listens intently to the rhythm, proof that he is alive and well, he survived too. John’s real, a solid presence against him and has been long before he carried Arthur down that mountain. He’s not alone, he is with people who love him, he’s not alone. Arthur repeats these facts over and over in his mind, like a calming mantra, grounding him in the here and now.

Arthur sighs deeply and gently lifts his gaze upward at John, still quietly watching over him, his expression calm now. They won’t talk about it and John will not ask and he is grateful for it. Their shared sorrow is not something easily discussed.

John silently brushes Arthur’s hair out of his face, then slides his hand down to caress his cheek. The outlaw closes his eyes and makes a sound of contentment in his chest. Arthur can hear the soft patter of rain on the roof and the distant, familiar sound of the wind chimes on the porch. Abigail and Jack are asleep across the hall, they are safe as well. Everything is going to be okay, and he truly believes it now.

Arthur feels himself starting to drift off to sleep, while John gently runs his hand through his hair. He’s warm and Arthur feels like the safest man in the world in that moment. Just as he falls asleep, he feels a soft kiss press atop his head, before strong arms wrap around him and draw him close.


End file.
